Crews spot clash between transient orcas and humpback whales in Salish Sea

VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. — Witnesses aboard several whale-watching boats caught a rare encounter – a clash between orcas, also called transient or Bigg’s killer whales, and humpback whales.

On Sunday, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said a group of Bigg’s killer whales took on two adult humpbacks and a calf in the Salish Sea.

"It was a great interaction," explains Capt. Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales Whale Watching, who also is a researcher for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island. "I'm not sure if the killer whales ever thought they were going to be able to take one of these humpbacks out, but it appears they certainly enjoyed getting them worked up."

Naturalist Valerie Shore of Eagle Wing Tours of Victoria was at the scene of the encounter.

Shore said there were a lot of tail swipes, huffing and puffing but no confirmed biting or attacks.

Other humpbacks nearby swam toward the confrontation in response and the orcas appeared to back off.

PWWA said their crews have been reporting an unprecedented number of humpbacks in the area.

"We been calling it 'Humpback Heaven,' these large congregations lately of humpbacks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca," according to Michael Harris, Executive Director of PWWA, representing 38 companies operating out of 21 ports in British Columbia and Washington. "And for the last several years we've also been reporting a record number of sightings of Bigg's killer whales in the Salish Sea, so I guess it was only a matter of time before that twain met."

Cox Media Group